Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Former USF running back Mike Ford signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League on Tuesday.

The signing ends a period of turmoil for the former Sarasota High running back. Early in the year he was dismissed from the USF football team and later arrested on charges of domestic violence.

The charges against Ford were recently dropped and Toronto, which had been reportedly keeping an eye on the 6-2, 225 running back, offered him a contract to be on its practice squad.

It is uncertain when Ford will be activated. He impressed a lot of people north of the border last January when he ran for a personal career high 207 yards in the Bulls victory over Northern Illinois, earning him the International Bowl MVP award.

A lot of people, including Manatee High Hall of Fame Coach Joe Kinnan believe Ford is the best high school running back the Manatee-Sarasota County area has ever produced. In his senior year at Sarasota High, he rushed for 2,836 yards (highest ever by a running back from Manatee or Sarasota County) and scored 37 touchdowns in being named the Class 5A Player Of The Year.